Tenoning machine



Dec. 17, 1940. J. H. FARRELL TENON'ING MACHINE Filed Jan. 30, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l' (702/1629?ilk/7292i,

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESS 2 Dec. 17, J H F LL 7 2,225,263,

TENONING MACHINE Filed Jan. 50, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 [NVENT R 4 ATTORNEYS f? mm am% Dec. 17, 1940. I J H, FA 2,225,263

TENONING MACHINE Filed Jan. 50, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jamwflf'arrell INVENT R ATTORNEYS WITNESS Patented Dec. 17, 1940 2,225,263

UNITED STATES rarest OFFICE- TENONING MACHINE- James H. Farrell, High Point, N. 0.

Application January 30-, 1939, Serial No. 253,688

3 Claims. (Cl. 144-457) This invention relates to Woodworking ma- Figure 2 is a view partly in top plan and partly chinery and more particularly to a machine in horizontal section of that portion of the mahaving provision for forming dovetail tenons. chine illustrated in Fig. l; i 1

In present day mortising and tenoning the Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on or about tenons formed at the edge of the board are the line 33 of Figure '1 I l 5 usually sharp-edged at one side of the board and Figure 4 is a fragmentary inverted plan View the opposite sides of the tenons are rounded, of the unitary element for controlling the comthe mortises being correspondingly recessed to bined linea1 and rotary reciprocatory movement receive the tenons. It has been found in the of the work holding carriage;

in formation of the tenons on the edge portion of a Figure 5 is a cross section through the unisingle board that, while the rounded portion of tary element shown in Figure 4; and the tenons are satisfactorily formed without ap- Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail view showpreciably tearing the wood, the cutting cones or ing the cam spindle in cross section and the cam knives do tear and appreciably mutilate the of the clutching and declutching' mechanism is sharp corner portions of the tenons when the thereon in partial top plan and section and wit-n 5 cones or knives leave the material. To overother parts directly associated therewith in top come this disadvantage machines or attachplan.

ments have been produced and so constructed 'Referring now to the drawings, the numeral that it is possible to place two boards back to l designates generall the top plateortable porback in the machine and causing the carrier of tion of the machine which is mounted on the 2. the boards to travel forwardly and backwardly usual frame standards 2. At the front of the in spaced parallel planes, with rounded loop machine is a multiple set of rotary cutters 3 of movement at the end of each lineal stroke. In any conventional type having the usual tapered other words, the two boards so placed back to undercut or inverted conical cutting portion 4 5 back travel entirely around the respective cutat their upper ends. As these cutters per se ting cones or knives so as to effect the formaform no part of the present invention'other than tion of the tenons smoothly throughout. in the relation hereinafter described and While the formation of the tenons upon an claimed, sufrlce it to state that they are mounted assembled pair of boards as above described on the usual vertical spindles 5 which are pro- :o makes for a better finished dovetailed joint there vided with spiral gears 6, the gears of groups of are certain disadvantages in the mechanical arsaid spindles meshing with each other so that rangement and operation of the machines on the spindles are accordingly rotated one by the which the tenon forming operations are perother, and certain of said spiral gears 6 being formed. It is, therefore, the principal object engaged by a driving gear or gears l accordingly of the present invention to improve generally provided on the vertical driving shaft or shafts 8.

upon the dovetailing machines or attachments. In this connection, it is noted that the driving A further object is to provide a simplified shaft or shafts 8 are driven and controlled sepastructural arrangement in a dovetailing marately from the work carrying means to be now chine with provision for adjustment and autodescribed. The adjustment, operation and conmatic operation thereof in the formation of trol of the cutter elements being that of the 40 tenons on boards of different thicknesses. A usual or ordinary character, further description still further object is to make provision for renthereof is deemed unnecessary herein. dering selected portions of the mechanism in- Mounted on the top plate or table portion l active, at will. of the machine frame, at opposite sides of a rec- With the foregoing and other objects and adtangular opening 9 therein, is a pair of parallel 45 vantages to be attained, the invention consists transverse supporting and guiding rails HI. in the novel general structure and in the par- These rails Iii are provided with undercut slideticular parts and combinations and arrangeways H in their inner sides, a movable carriage ments of the parts as hereinafter described and frame I2 being'mounted on said supporting and y set forth in the appended claims, reference being guiding rails ID to reciprocate transversely of 50 had to the accompanying drawings forming a the machine by means of a slidable interfitting part of the Specification, and in which: engagement with the undercut slideways.

Figure l is a vertical sectional view of a ma- The carriage frame i2 is provided with longichine equipped in accordance with the present tudinal s-lideways I3 in its opposite end meminvention; bers to receive correspondingly formed marginal 55 portions M of a carriage body plate [5. Mounted fixedly n the carriage plate 15, either by integral formation therewith or made separately and bolted thereto, as at [6, is a Work-supporting frame I! comprising the vertical end members I8 which are flanged at their lower ends, as at l9, and apertured to receive the securing bolts I6. Rigidly connecting said end members [8 is an elongated member of rightangular cross-section providing a horizontal top shelflike portion 20 and a vertical abutment 2|.

Movably mounted in spaced relation to the outer face of the abutment member 2! is an elongated work-clamping plate 22, cooperating with the opposite end portions of which are cam eccentrics 23 which are mounted on anoperating rod 24,

journaled at its opposite ends in bracket extensions 25 of the carriage frame I I and provided with a manipulating handle or handles 26 (see Figure 1). This work-clampingprovision, just described, is for holding the boards to be mortised and tenoned vertically in the machine, particularly for the operations hereinafter described in accordance with the present invention. For holding the work horizontally on the carriage body plate l5, for certain other cutting operations, also to'be later described, a vertically adjustable workclamping element 21 of a conventional type is provided as indicated in Figure 1. As this second mentioned clamping element 21, of itself, forms no part of the present invention other than in its general relation to the carriage body plate 15, further detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary except to state generally that it is carried by vertical reciprocatory bars or rods 28 which are pressed downwardly by cam and lever means 29 when in use.

In the use of the machine in accordance with the principal object of the present invention, the

40 work comprising two boards 30 and 3|, respec- 50 ate or other rounding movement, and then backwardly in a lineal direction, thence again roundingly in the opposite lateral direction and again lineally forward to the original starting point, or, in other Words, the orbit of carriage travel during the tenon forming operation is substantially elliptical except that the middle portions of the two opposite sides of the adjoined tenons 30' and 3|, so formed, are flattened. In this connection, it is here noted that a gauge element 32 is provided on the top plate or table portion I of the machine transversely thereof between the outer one of the carriage supporting rails") and the row of cutter elements 3 (see Figure 1), said gauge element 32, as shown, comprising an elongated fiat bar having down turned rightangular end portions 33 provided at their ends with inturned ears 34 which are bolted to the top plate or table portion l. Obviously, the gauge element 32 may be made with any suitable provision for vertical adjustment or interchangeable elements 32 of different heights may be provided for the purpose, that of properly positioning the lower ends of the two boards 3|] and 3|. in working alinement with relation to the cutter elements 3. These particular gauge provisions being obvious, a detailed illustration or description thereof is not here necessary.

Mounted on the under side of the carriage body plate [5 is a rectangular block 35, said block being provided with a substantially elliptical groove 36 constituting an endless trackway for the upper end portion 31 of a vertical spindle 38 which is journaled in bearing brackets 39 provided therefor on the side of a reciprocatory carriage 40 near one end thereof. The block is counter-recessed about thetrack groove 36 and formed with a series of teeth 4! providing, in effect, an elliptical internal gear which is engaged by a pinion 4| fixed on the spindle 38 adjacent the end portion 31 thereof which rides in the track groove 36. By this provision, together with an automatic clutching and declutching driving mechanism, to be later described, the hereinbefore described travel of the work-holding carriage in an elliptical orbit, is effected.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the reciprocatory carriage on which the spindle 38 is mounted is slidably mounted with dovetailed guide fittings, as at 42, on an elongated horizontal guiding and supporting arm 43 of a bracket 44 which is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the back end wall portion 45 of the machine body frame, said guiding and supporting arm 43 extending parallel with the longitudinal axis of the block 35 whose longitudinal axis also extends parallel with the longitudinal axis of reciprocation of the workcarrier l5.

The reciprocatory carriage 40 is yieldably held in and automatically returned to a normally retract-ed position by a cable or other suitable fiexible element 46 attached at one end to the carriage 40, as at 41, thence passed over a supporting pulley or idler 48 and provided at its free end with a weight 49. The carriage 46 is moved from its normally retracted position on the supporting arm 43 by a rotating'cam 50 which works against an adjustable abutment 5| mounted on the end wall 45 of the machine frame. As shown, the abutment 52 comprises a transverse plate portion and is formed in substantially T- shape with its stem portion slotted longitudinally, as at 52, for the reception of securing bolts 53 by which the adjustment of the abutment towards and from the adjacent wall portion 45 of the machine frame is accomplished. The cam element 50 is fixed on the upper end portion of a vertical driving spindle 54, and, as shown, it is provided with abrupt quick-acting camming faces 56 and 51 whereby the reciprocatory movement of the carriage 40 as effected and controlled thereby is rapid in movement. However, there is a concentric peripheral portion 58 on the cam 50 which is of considerable length between the camming faces 56 and 51, by the provision of which the carriage 40 remains stationary for a considerable period of time after it is moved from its normally retracted position. During this period of rest of the carriage 40 the work carrier 15 is actuated by means of the peculiar gear connection between the block 35 secured on the under side of the work carrier l5 and the correlated tracking provision in the block for the end portion 31 of the spindle 38 which effects the movement of the carrier in the hereinbefore described elliptical orbit for the formation of the tenons 30 and 3| on the respective boards 30 and 3|.

The actuation of the cam spindle 54 is effected by means of a worm drive including the suitable gear 55 fixed on the lower end of the spindle 54 in mesh with the drive screw portion 56' provided therefor on the end of the horizontal countershaft 5'! journaled in bearings 58' provided at the lower ends of depending supporting brackets 59 oh the lower longitudinal'member of the carriage 48.

As shown, the countershaft is provided with an elongated cylindrical pulley "60 which is belted, as at 6|, to a correspondingly elongated pulley 62 provided on the driving shaft 63 of an electrical or other motor 6d. By this provision of elongated cylindrical pulleys 6i! and 62 the belted connection 6| between the pulleys is maintained constantly during the time the reciprocatory carriage 4!) is either in its normally retracted or extended position as well as during the time of travel to and from the said positions.

In the operation of the machine, the cam element 5!! working against the abutment 5| effects a positive and definite movement of the reciprocatory carriage from its normally retracted position, it being understood that the abutment 5! is adjusted on the supporting wall portion of the machine frame so that the outer board 33 as clamped 0n the abutment member 2| of the upper frame portion of the carrier body It is brought contiguous to the cutter elements 3, at the moment of which the spindle 38 carrying the gear 4 I which is in engagement with the internal gear 4| is automatically connected to the countershaft 51 whereby the work carrier I5 is actuated in the elliptical orbit as hereinbefore described. The spindle 38 is connected to and disconnected from the countershaft 51 by the provision of a sleeve element 55 which is mounted loosely in any conventional manner on the lower end portion of the spindle 38 so that the sleeve and spindle are rotatable independently of each other but are held against relative endwise movement, said sleeve having a gear 63 thereon, similar to the gear 55 on the cam spindle 54, in mesh with the worm screw'6l fixed on the countershaft 51', by which provision thesleeve 65 rotates constantly with said shaft 57. Sleeved also loosely on the spindle 33' is a clutch collar 68 having a spline extension 69 at its lower end engaged in a corresponding open-ended slot provided therefor in the adjacent end portion'of the sleeve member 65, whereby the clutch collar 68 is interlocked with the sleeve element 65 so as to rotate therewith but is permitted endwise movement relative to the sleeve member 65 and also the spindle 38. Clutch collar 68 is provided at its upper end with a series of ratchet teeth 10 to engage the corresponding teeth provided on the adjacent lower end portion of a thrust collar 1| pinned or otherwise fixedly secured to said spindle 38.

For the actuation of the clutch collar 63 it is provided with an annular circumferential groove for the reception of an ordinary shipper ring 12 to which one arm of a bellcrank element 13 is cooperatively attached, said bellcrank member being pivotally mounted as at H on a supporting bracket depending from the under side of the reciprocatory carriage 43. The opposite arm of the bellcrank element is pivotally attached to a tappet rod 15 which is slidably mounted in suitable guide portions 16 provided therefor on two of the bracket members 59 which support the countershaft 51, said tappet rod extending substantially parallel with said countershaft and being provided on its end remote from the connected bellcrank element with a cam abutment member 1! which is axially bored and screw-threaded to fit adjustably on the correspondingly threaded end portion of the rod, said cam abutment member being locked in its longitudinal'position on said tappet rod 15 We, jam nut 18.

The cam abutment H on said tappet rod 15 is yieldably held constantly in engagement with a cam element 19, which latter is securely fastened to the cam spindle 5G by a set-screw 80, whereby said cam element 19 normally rotates with the spindle 54 in the operation of the machine as hereinbefore described for the formation of the tenons 30' and 3! on the vertically positioned boards 36 and 31. However, when the machine is to be used in other ways and not requiring the operation of the spindle 38, said set-screw 80 is turned and moved outwardly so as to disengage its inner end portion from the cam spindle 54 whereupon said spindle is free to rotate only the cam 58 and accordingly reciprocate the carriage 40 to effect a' corresponding longitudinal reciprocation of the work carrier l5 without any transverse movement thereof.

The cam element 19, like the cam element 50, is provided with rather abrupt and quick-acting camming faces 8 l and 82 and a concentric peripheral face 83 to hold the spindle 38 clutched to the countershaft 5'! throughout a period of time sufiicient for the accomplishment of the hereinbefore described tench-forming movement of the work-carrier in the elliptical orbit. In this connection, it is here pointed out that the cam element i3 is positioned on the spindle 54 in timed relation to the cam 58 which drives and controls the reciprocatory carriage 40, the relative proportion of the concentric peripheral portion 58 of said cam being such that the cam element 19 is actuated to move the tappet rod 15 and effect the engagement of the clutch collar 68 with the thrust collar H fixed on the spindle 38 after the reciprocatory carriage has reached the end of its movement from the normally retracted position and the actuations of the work-carrier l5 are efiected by the operation of the spindle 38, which operative connection with the block 35 is completed during the rest period of said reciprocatory carriage ill.

In order to assure a positive driving connection between the reciprocatory carriage 40 and the work-carrier 15 during both the forward stroke and the return stroke of said carriage 4!], releasable locking means is provided for holding the spindle 38 against rotation during such reciprocatory movement of said carriage 40, said locking means being conventionally shown in Figure 1 of the drawings as comprising a hooked arm 13' formed as a part of the bellcrank whose arm 73 actuates the clutch collar 68, said hooked arm 13' engaging in a peripheral notch provided therefor in the fixed thrust collar H on said spindle 38 when the clutch collar is disengaged from said fixed thrust collar H. Obviously, with the spindle 38 thus held against rotation and the gear t! engaged with the toothed portion M of the block 35 on the work-carrier IS, the workcarrier is moved positively with the reciprocatory carriage wand in the same longitudinal direction therewith and without any transverse movement until the cam-actuated bellcrank is operated to engage the clutch collar 58 with said fixed thrust collar H, at which time the hooked arm 13' of the bellcrank is swung out of engagement with the peripheral notch in said thrust collar H, it being understood that the clutching and declutching of the spindle 33 occurs, as hereinbefore described, during the rest period of the reciprocatory carriage 49.

In the operation of the machine, in the preferred setup and adjustment of the respective actuating and controlling parts, the initial forward longitudinal movement of thework-carrier 15 brings the two boards 30 and 3| intd a position where the plane of their meeting faces coincides with the plane of the axes of the row of cutter elements 3, at which time the reciprocatory carriage and the then connected work-carrier come to rest, and immediately thereafter the cam element T9 effects the engagement of the clutch collar 68 with the fixed thrust collar H, where upon the spindle 38 is positively driven by the countershaft 51' as hereinbefore described. Up to this time, a kerf has been cut straightway through the outermost board 30 and partially into the companion board 3 l, and as soon as the spindle 38 starts rotating in its neutral position at one side of the elliptical trackway 36 and midway between the rounded ends of said trackway, movement of the block'35 in an elliptical orbit is thereby caused due to the engagement of the gear 4 I with the elliptical series of teeth 4|, the block being positively guided in its elliptical movement by the fitting of the end portion 3'! of the spindle without play in the coinciding elliptical trackway 36., This travel of the block and, of course, the work-carrier l5 therewith, continues until one lap is completed, or, in other words, until the spindle 38 has returned to its neutral position with relation to the block 35, and immediately therewith said spindle 38 becomes automatically declutched with relation to the countershaft 51' and again locked against rotation by the engagementof the hooked arm 73' of the bellcrank in the peripheral notch of said thrust collar ll. After this declutching and locking of the spindle 38 is accomplished the cam 50 immediately or shortly thereafter has reached a position in its rotation whereby the carriage 40 is returned to its normally retracted position under the influence of the weighted cable or flexible element 46 which is attached to the end of the carriage and passes over the idler pulley 48.

By the use of the machine of the present invention, as hereinbefore described, tenons are accurately and symmetrically formed on apair of boards at the same time, and without any tear- .ing efiect which ordinarily occurs at the sharpened corners of the tenons in the ordinary process of forming the tenons on single boards. Furthermore, the tenoning mechanism of the present invention maybe disconnected or rendered inactive, at will, and the machine used in the ordinary way of forming mortises to receive the tenons and also for forming plain straight-across dovetailed tenons and. mortises, either the straight box dovetailed or the undercut type as desired.

It is, of course, understood that the elliptical trackway 36 in the block 35 on the Work-carrier i5 is proportioned as to both width and length depending upon the size of the tenon and in accordance with the thickness of the respective pairs of boards to be tenoned, and, in this connection, it is further noted that the block 35 is made detachable and interchangeable, in different sizes and the cams 50 and 19 must, of course, be made in interchangeable sizes and accordingly adjusted for the proper operation in the tenon forming process.

thereof between the vertical end members l8 of the work-supporting frame I! and for a considerable distance inwardly from the forward end of the body plate portion, so that the work carrier is movable about the gauge element 32 with ample clearance therebetween.

While the machine as illustrated in the drawings and herein described embodies a practical adaptation of the invention, it is understood that considerable modificationmay be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangements shown in the accompanying drawings.

What is, claimed is:

1. In a woodworking machine of the character described, a body frame having a stationarily ,mounted rotary cutter element thereon and a Work carrier slidably mountedon the frame for both longitudinal and transverse movement, clamping means on said carrier for holding a pair of boards back to back and vertically thereon with the alined lower edge portions of the boards in a plane to be operated upon by the cutter element, a longitudinally reciprocable driving carriage slidably mounted on the body frame with provision for yieldablyholding it in normally retracted position and for returning it to such position, a power-driven cam element on said driving carriage in working relation to an adjustable abutment for moving the carriage from its normal position and holding the carriage so moved during a definite period of rest, a guide element on said work carrier having an endless track groove therein with a surrounding counter-recessed portion provided with an endlessseries of rack teeth, a spindle journaled on said driving carriage and provided with a toothed gear meshing with the toothed rack portion of said guide element on the work carrier with the adjacent endfportion of the spindle projected into the track groove of said guide element, means for releasably locking said spindle against rotation during the reciprocatory movements of said driving carriage, and cam-actuated means operating in timed relation to the cam element which controls the actuation of said driving carriage whereby to release said spindle from its interlocked relation and operably connecting it to a driving medium on said driving carriage during the rest period of the carriage, whereby to rotate said spindle and through its connection with said guide element impart a revoluble movement to said work carrier so as to carry the boards supported thereon in an orbit about the cutter element to form duplicate tenons on the portions of the boards thus carried in engagement with the cutter element.

2. In a wood working machine of the character described and including a body frame having a stationarily mounted rotary cutter element and a correlated work carrier mounted on the body frame for longitudinal, transverse and revoluble movement in a definite plane with relation to the cutter element, said work carrier having provision for supporting a pair of boards back to back thereon with their lower edge portions alined in the working plane of said cutter element, a prime mover including a longitudinally reciprocable carriage having provision for yieldably holding it in a normally retracted position and returning it to such position, a power-driven cam spindle on said carriage having a cam element working against an adjustable abutment for moving the carriage a predetermined distance from normal position and formed with a proportioned concentric surface for a rest period, endless looped guide means on said work carrier, geared driving means on said prime mover in working engagement with said guide means for imparting a revoluble movement to said work carrier during the rest period of said prime mover, and means for automatically rendering said geared driving means inactive as to such revoluble movement of the work carrier during the reciprocation of said prime mover but effecting a connection with said prime mover whereby the work carrier reciprocates therewith.

3. In a Wood working machine of the character described and including a body frame having a conventional rotary cutter element and a correlated work carrier mounted thereon for longitudinal, transverse and revoluble movement in a definite plane with relation to the cutter element, a prime mover including a longitudinally reciprocable horizontal carriage having provision for yieldably holding it in a normally retracted position and returning it to such position, power means for moving the carriage from normal position and holding it during a definite period of rest in extended position, an operable connection between said carriage and said work carrier whereby the latter is moved lineally with the carriage in its reciprocation, said connection including a guide element on the underside of said work carrier and provided with an endless trackway, a vertical spindle mounted on said carriage and having a geared engagement with said guide element and interfitted to the trackway thereof, whereby, upon rotation of said spindle, orbital travel is imparted to the work carrier, said spindle being normally locked against rotation, at common drive shaft on said carriage for actuating the moving means of the carriage and having a normally declutched driving arrangement with said spindle, and means for automatically clutching said driving shaft and spindle during the period of rest of the carriage in extended position whereby the orbital travel of the work carrier is effected, and then declutching the shaft and spindle prior to the termination of such period of rest.

JAMES H. FARRELL. 

